The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Chidinma Otti, has visited Amarachi Okpokiri, who survived her husband’s brutal assault in Umuahia.
Amarachi was attacked in August by her husband, Lawrence, who inflicted machete wounds on her body before attempting to gouge her eyes for suspected ritual purposes.
The incident sparked a public outrage in the state.
Speaking at the palace of the traditional ruler of Emede Ancient Kingdom, Eze Allen Okpokiri, who is Amarachi’s uncle, Mrs Priscilla Chidinma Otti presented a cash gift to the survivor and expressed deep gratitude to God for the miraculous recovery of Amarachi’s eyesight.
Otti, who noted that her second visit to the survivor was to assess her present condition and explore further avenues to assist her in rebuilding her life, reassured the family that the Abia State government remains committed to helping Amarachi find sustainable means of livelihood. She also pledged support to enable her to start a business.
The Abia governor’s wife also stated that the perpetrator of the violent act is facing the full force of the law, reinforcing the administration’s zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence.
“Justice will be served, and no such crime will go unpunished under this administration,” she said.
She said more safe houses are to be established for victims of gender-based violence and the provision of legal and psychological support for survivors.
The Abia First Lady also stressed the importance of community engagement, urging traditional leaders, local authorities, and civil society organisations to work together in reporting cases and preventing abuse at the grassroots level.
Mrs Otti disclosed that efforts are ongoing to train law enforcement officers to handle such cases and urged the traditional ruler, Eze Allen Okpokiri of Emede Ancient Kingdom, to take a proactive stance in eradicating the ugly situation.
In a heartfelt response, Amarachi Okpokiri expressed immense gratitude to Mrs Otti for her continued care and intervention, recalling how she paid her medical bills and constantly monitored her recovery process.
The traditional ruler of the Emede Ancient Kingdom, Eze Allen Okpokiri, thanked the Abia First Lady for her intervention and for the visit, as well as for her efforts in sustaining the war against gender-based violence in the state.
